My early childhood education was an amazing experience and one that I wouldn't change for the world. I had wonderful role models who introduced me to new experiences and new things. They helped me understand how I thrive on familiarity and allowed me to grow and discover my interests. One of those interests is teaching. While my early schooling was filled with amazing experiences, it also served a deeper purpose: to inspire a love of teaching and the desire pass on those same opportunities for a whole new set of students.
Looking back at my early schooling, my clearest memory was actually my very first day of preschool. I attended Barrington Early Childhood Center (BECC), a private preschool in my town. I had never experienced anything quite like it, and I absolutely hated it. This was my first experience away from my parents; I had never been a daycare child or ever even had a babysitter. I had no intentions of letting my mother leave my side, as I clung to her for dear life. My teacher, Mrs. Wolfe, eventually had to pry me off of her as I screamed and cried, desperate for my mother’s arms.
It was at that moment that another new student, just like myself, approached me while I was still crying in my teacher’s arms. Her name was Sarah. That day, Sarah became my best friend. At that young age, developing social skills is crucial. When Sarah approached me to invite me to play, I felt much more comfortable and excited to be there. She was my first friend that I made on my own, and I was proud to call her my best friend. From that day on, it was smooth sailing. My preschool became my favorite place and I never wanted to leave. I made new friends, played outside, and brought home dozens of art projects (which my mother still keeps to this day).
The next year, before departing BECC, we had a classic “What I Want to be When I Grow Up” assignment. Our job as 4-year-olds was to draw a picture, and have our parents help us write out a few words. There were dozens of astronauts, doctors, firefighters, presidents, and even a few princesses. But not me. I drew a wonderful picture of a tall girl with brown hair, in a purple dress (future me). Beneath me, stood around ten other little stick figures (my future class of preschoolers). The rest of the page was decorated with pictures of toys and surrounded by bright, happy colors. The title of my masterpiece: “When I grow up, I want to be… A Preschool Teacher at BECC! “ From day one, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life: I wanted to be a teacher.
Mrs. Wolfe was touched by my assignment. As the year was ending, , she asked my mother if she could keep the one assignment and display it in the preschool. My mother eagerly agreed and Mrs. Wolfe hung my newly framed picture on her office door for all to see. I remember feeling so proud. Our artwork had plastered the classroom walls before, but this was special. This was just me, and my work being appreciated. My artwork being so proudly displayed on the door for everyone to see filled me with a great sense of pride. I had not been so thoroughly appreciated before. Looking back, this was the first experience where I saw the power and influence of a teacher in their students lives.
Throughout my early schooling experience, I was fortunate enough to live in a top-ranking school district, filled with amazing teachers. Similar to Mrs. Wolfe, my early elementary teachers were kind and nurturing. I explicitly remember Mrs. Spaight, my second and third grade teacher at Nayatt School. She was the first teacher that I grew a deeper connection with. She was more than a teacher- she was an inspiration. I strived to be more like Mrs. Spaight. I would always volunteer to hand out papers and collect things from the class. If she ever had to leave the room, even just for a moment, she would put me in charge. I never had to do anything, but just the concept of authority got me easily excited. I knew then that I definitely wanted to run my own classroom one day.
In contrast to the normal school sequence that most students experienced, I had a different path through elementary school. As early as first grade, I had the opportunity to be in a Multi Aged Classroom (MAC), where grades one, two, and three coexisted. The student-to-teacher ratio was typical, as there were three teachers for each different grade. I loved watching the third graders, I aspired to be just like them. I could not wait to be one of the older kids helping out the little first graders. I wanted to be the best role model I could be for them. I remember being in third grade, helping a first grader with a basic addition worksheet- I was a pro at this point, and them seeking my help made me feel great. Being able to help really boosted my self-esteem, and fueled my desire to teach others my skills.
Another common trend seen in my early schooling was the repetition of teachers. My favorite part of the MAC was being in the same classroom with the same students and teachers for three years. Each successive year, it took away the stress of meeting new teachers and making new friends. I am not too great at acclimating to new environments, and this relieved all that anxiety. Personally, I do not have strong social skills. I have no problem talking to people who approach me, but my weakness lies in approaching others on my own. Being amongst people I already was acquainted with made my life a lot easier in school. I was able to focus more on school and less on working to be social. Seeing the strong positive effect of the MAC on my learning and social skills motivates me to one day help those students with the same struggles that I faced.
In middle school, I was placed into a program of the same idea, called a loop. Each grade at Barrington Middle School was divided into three clusters. Each cluster was made up of four teachers- one with a specialty in each of the core subjects: math, science, English, and social studies. In seventh and eighth grade, I was a part of Red Cluster. I had all the same teachers both years, and connections grew stronger as with the time spent. By the end of eighth grade, my teachers knew exactly how to help me learn based on my own personal learning styles. They showed me that I was a visual learner, allowing me to better my learning as I moved through high school and now into college. Through my teachers fostering this connection with me, it showed me the power of a student-teacher connection and inspired me to one day do the same for my students
My early childhood educational experiences demonstrated to me a few things about myself. I thrive on familiarity, and have been blessed with wonderful teachers who provided me with a great foundation for my education. Many of my early education teachers were inspirational in developing my desire to be a teacher. I would not change a thing about my early educational experiences. I want to provide the same experiences to my students and help them grow and realize who they are and allow them to be all they can be.
Looking back at my early schooling, my clearest memory was actually my very first day of preschool. I attended Barrington Early Childhood Center (BECC), a private preschool in my town. I had never experienced anything quite like it, and I absolutely hated it. This was my first experience away from my parents; I had never been a daycare child or ever even had a babysitter. I had no intentions of letting my mother leave my side, as I clung to her for dear life. My teacher, Mrs. Wolfe, eventually had to pry me off of her as I screamed and cried, desperate for my mother’s arms.
It was at that moment that another new student, just like myself, approached me while I was still crying in my teacher’s arms. Her name was Sarah. That day, Sarah became my best friend. At that young age, developing social skills is crucial. When Sarah approached me to invite me to play, I felt much more comfortable and excited to be there. She was my first friend that I made on my own, and I was proud to call her my best friend. From that day on, it was smooth sailing. My preschool became my favorite place and I never wanted to leave. I made new friends, played outside, and brought home dozens of art projects (which my mother still keeps to this day).
The next year, before departing BECC, we had a classic “What I Want to be When I Grow Up” assignment. Our job as 4-year-olds was to draw a picture, and have our parents help us write out a few words. There were dozens of astronauts, doctors, firefighters, presidents, and even a few princesses. But not me. I drew a wonderful picture of a tall girl with brown hair, in a purple dress (future me). Beneath me, stood around ten other little stick figures (my future class of preschoolers). The rest of the page was decorated with pictures of toys and surrounded by bright, happy colors. The title of my masterpiece: “When I grow up, I want to be… A Preschool Teacher at BECC! “ From day one, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life: I wanted to be a teacher.
Mrs. Wolfe was touched by my assignment. As the year was ending, , she asked my mother if she could keep the one assignment and display it in the preschool. My mother eagerly agreed and Mrs. Wolfe hung my newly framed picture on her office door for all to see. I remember feeling so proud. Our artwork had plastered the classroom walls before, but this was special. This was just me, and my work being appreciated. My artwork being so proudly displayed on the door for everyone to see filled me with a great sense of pride. I had not been so thoroughly appreciated before. Looking back, this was the first experience where I saw the power and influence of a teacher in their students lives.
Throughout my early schooling experience, I was fortunate enough to live in a top-ranking school district, filled with amazing teachers. Similar to Mrs. Wolfe, my early elementary teachers were kind and nurturing. I explicitly remember Mrs. Spaight, my second and third grade teacher at Nayatt School. She was the first teacher that I grew a deeper connection with. She was more than a teacher- she was an inspiration. I strived to be more like Mrs. Spaight. I would always volunteer to hand out papers and collect things from the class. If she ever had to leave the room, even just for a moment, she would put me in charge. I never had to do anything, but just the concept of authority got me easily excited. I knew then that I definitely wanted to run my own classroom one day.
In contrast to the normal school sequence that most students experienced, I had a different path through elementary school. As early as first grade, I had the opportunity to be in a Multi Aged Classroom (MAC), where grades one, two, and three coexisted. The student-to-teacher ratio was typical, as there were three teachers for each different grade. I loved watching the third graders, I aspired to be just like them. I could not wait to be one of the older kids helping out the little first graders. I wanted to be the best role model I could be for them. I remember being in third grade, helping a first grader with a basic addition worksheet- I was a pro at this point, and them seeking my help made me feel great. Being able to help really boosted my self-esteem, and fueled my desire to teach others my skills.
Another common trend seen in my early schooling was the repetition of teachers. My favorite part of the MAC was being in the same classroom with the same students and teachers for three years. Each successive year, it took away the stress of meeting new teachers and making new friends. I am not too great at acclimating to new environments, and this relieved all that anxiety. Personally, I do not have strong social skills. I have no problem talking to people who approach me, but my weakness lies in approaching others on my own. Being amongst people I already was acquainted with made my life a lot easier in school. I was able to focus more on school and less on working to be social. Seeing the strong positive effect of the MAC on my learning and social skills motivates me to one day help those students with the same struggles that I faced.
In middle school, I was placed into a program of the same idea, called a loop. Each grade at Barrington Middle School was divided into three clusters. Each cluster was made up of four teachers- one with a specialty in each of the core subjects: math, science, English, and social studies. In seventh and eighth grade, I was a part of Red Cluster. I had all the same teachers both years, and connections grew stronger as with the time spent. By the end of eighth grade, my teachers knew exactly how to help me learn based on my own personal learning styles. They showed me that I was a visual learner, allowing me to better my learning as I moved through high school and now into college. Through my teachers fostering this connection with me, it showed me the power of a student-teacher connection and inspired me to one day do the same for my students
My early childhood educational experiences demonstrated to me a few things about myself. I thrive on familiarity, and have been blessed with wonderful teachers who provided me with a great foundation for my education. Many of my early education teachers were inspirational in developing my desire to be a teacher. I would not change a thing about my early educational experiences. I want to provide the same experiences to my students and help them grow and realize who they are and allow them to be all they can be.